Storms that caused 1-in-1,000 year flood event in Tennessee and Georgia
move up Atlantic coast
[November 07, 2026]
By JOHN RABY
A storm system that caused what the National Weather Service calls a
catastrophic, 1,000-year flood along the Tennessee-Georgia state line
moved up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday, prompting flood advisories in
coastal areas from North Carolina to Massachusetts.
In McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, residents and crews
spent Friday cleaning up alongside the Toccoa River. Rainfall across the
surrounding mountain watershed measured 10.28 inches (26.1 cms) over a
six-hour period and 11.19 inches (28.4 cms) over 12 hours into Thursday
morning, according to the weather service in Atlanta.
Some instances of extreme weather are referred to as 1,000-year events
because they have a 0.1%, or 1 in 1,000, chance of happening in a
particular place in any given year. While uncommon, “it’s definitely
possible to have multiple 1,000-year events in the same year,” the
weather service said.
The Toccoa flows into the Ocoee River, where the Tennessee Valley
Authority was managing high water levels at three of its hydroelectric
dams. Swift-water teams from both states rescued dozens of people before
the flooding receded, leaving downtown streets covered in mud and its
water treatment plant out of commission.
At least one death was associated with the flooding. Julie Barrs, 56,
died while apparently trying to drive her vehicle through floodwaters in
a mountainous area of Murray County, Georgia, Sheriff Jimmy Davenport
said Friday.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for four counties
to make resources available.
This was the second disastrous flood in three months for the communities
— the weather service categorized the early August flood as a 1-in-500
year event — and McCaysville had reopened its renovated police building
just last week. Police Chief Michael Otis Earley said his department
“lost virtually everything” from the latest flood and that recovering
again “will not be easy.”
Access to the downtown area Friday was restricted to authorized
personnel, business owners and residents, and a curfew remains in effect
from dusk to dawn, Earley said in a statement.
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Bo Swafford surveys water rushing over the TVA Ocoee 2 Dam along the
Ocoee River, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in Polk County, Tenn. (AP
Photo/Kathleen Greeson)
“This disaster does not define who we are as a community,” Earley
said. “How we come together, how we care for our neighbors, how we
lift one another up, and how we move forward will define us.
McCaysville may be down right now, but we are not defeated.”
With about 1,000 residents in McCaysville and fewer than 500 in
Copperhill, the twin towns have been a quaint destination for scenic
railroad rides — the Blue Ridge Railway on the Georgia side and the
Copperhill Special in Tennessee. Both trains treat tourists to river
and mountain views before stopping so visitors can sample the
restaurants and shops.
The Copperhill General Store posted on social media that nearly all
its wares are covered in mud.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through
this devastating loss,” the store's statement said.
Another police station took a hit from flooding Friday, this one in
New England. In Falmouth, Massachusetts, in the westernmost section
of Cape Cod, Police Chief Jeffrey A. Lourie urged residents to stay
home because heavy rains flooded roads throughout the town, as well
as the police department’s headquarters.
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